Miniature merry-go-round.



J. T. REESE.

MINIATURE MERRY-GO-ROUND. APPLIOATION FILED arm. 10. 1900.

No. 863,876. PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATEN'TED AUG. 20, 1907. J. I'. REESE.

MINIATURE MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLICATION FILED ammo. 190a.

' 2 sums-sum 2.

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JOHN THOMAS REESE, OF PULASKI, TENNESSEE.

MINIATURE MERRY-GO-ROUND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed September 10,1906. Serial No- 333,965.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J 011x THOMAS REEsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pulaski, in the county of Giles and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Miniature Merry- Go-Rounds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is designed to provide an attractive, safe and healthful amusement and exercising device for children.

It is an improved merry-go-round of the miniature style or type adapted for home use.

The machine can be set up and operated either indoors or out-doors, and is suitable for use in a room of ordinary size.

It is adapted to seat several children or passengers at once, and it can easily be propelled by a small child, this being done through the agency of an ordinary cycle or velocipede-wheel having pedal cranks.

The invention is an improvement over other devices of this nature both in general design and mechanical construction, whereby the apparatus is made light, strong and durable, while its construction is simple and inexpensive.

In the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this specification, I have illustrated an efficient form of the apparatus embodying my invention, which I now regard as a preferred construction; it being understood however that the invention is susceptible of other or modified embodiments, and that various changes may be made in the general form, proportions and details of construction and arrangement of the machine.

Without limiting myself therefore to the specific construction illustrated, the invention will hereinafter be fully described by reference to said drawings, and then more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

Figure l is a perspective view of said apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, a portion of the machine being omitted. Fig. 3 is an inner side elevation of the propelling portion of the apparatus, together with a vertical section of the trailing car or passenger portion.

The apparatus is of course arranged to run in a circle around a fixed axis. It comprises, in the main, a radially-disposed wheel-supported frame carrying a car or seat for the passengers, and a cycle or pedalwheel hitched or attached thereto for propelling the same; the several wheels being tangential to the circle of travel and preferably arranged to track after one another.

A denotes the said frame; B indicates the axis or pivot thereof; C and D are the supporting wheels at the outer end of the frame; E is the car or seat mounted in frame-members F; and G designates the front pedalwheel.

The frame A comprises a pair of spaced horizontallydisposed bars or rods, preferably made of iron. These bars are substantially parallel at their outer portions, where the car or seat E is mounted, and their outer ends are formed to provide suitable spindles for the Wheels 0 and D. From the inner end of the car, said bars are bent inwardly so as to converge, and their inner ends are brought together and joined' (as by forging or welding) to form a common downwardly-extending stubportion or leg A. This part A is shown angle-shaped, and its foot is attached to a fixed pivot B (the axis of rotation of the apparatus) in such manner as to support the inner end of the frame at an elevation appropriate to the elevation of the outer end thereof. The pivot for said frame A may of course be provided -by any device or contrivance suitable for the required purpose. For example, said pivot B may be an ordinary pivot-bolt, stationed or journaled in a socketmember B. In this connection, I preferably employ a pin or other swivel contriva-nce having a ball-bearing within its socket, and having a bifurcated or forked head in which the foot of the angle-piece or leg A is secured by a cotter-pin or bolt, as shown. An ordinary ball-bearing caster may be utilized for this purpose, the roller or caster proper being removed and the foot of the leg A being secured in the bifurcated shank of the caster. In the present case, the pivot B is represented as such a caster, having its plate secured on the member 13 The member B may be a block secured on the floor when the apparatus is used in-doors; or it may be a suitable post driven in the ground when the apparatus is used out-doors.

The car or seat E is desirably a flat board of suitable width to provide a comfortable seat, and of such length as to accommodate several children. Said seat, together with a front foot-board E and a rear foot-board E is mounted upon the frame A by means of an upright seat-frame comprising two companion yokes F, one at each end of said seat. These yokes,-n1ade preferably of strap iron, are substantially inverted U shaped or in the form of wickets or arches. The seat E has its opposite ends fitted within the yokes, and is supported upon shoulders or lugs F which shoulders are formed on the inner sides of the yokes by doubling and bending inwardly the strap-iron at these points. The upper portions of the yokes, extending above the seat, constitute convenient hand-rails. The lower ends of the legs of the yokes are bent outwardly, providing feet F which support the foot-boards E and E respectively. Any competent fastenings may be employed, such as screws or bolts, for securing the seat E and footboards E and E upon their respective supports. The seat-frame as a whole is braced by a crossbeam E which rigidly connects the foot-boards E and E and the whole car is set upon the frame A and attached thereto by inserting bolts or other suitable fastenings through the foot-boards E and E and the parallel bars of the said frame A.

The front pedal-wheel G, by means of which the apparatus is propelled, may be and is preferably the front or large wheel of an ordinary boys velocipede or tricycle; the two remaining wheels of the tricycle being utilized as the supporting wheels 0 and D, while the velocipede-frame H is also availed of for hitching or attaching the pedal-wheel to the car. In this connection, the inner leg orinember H of the velocipede-frame is attached to and under the front foot-board E; while the outer leg or member H is attached to the outer end of the spindle of the adjacent wheel D. Said spindle of the Wheel D is desirably lengthened or extended outwardly about three inches beyond the hub of said wheel, so as to receive the frame-member H at a proper position. The fork H of the velocipede-frame, in which the pedal-wheel G is mounted, is kept from turning by means of the rigid brace H shown connecting the inner side of the fork H with the front foot-board E so that the pedal-wheel is held in its proper relation tangentially to the circle of movement, to be tracked by the wheels O and D. Thus the necessity and the possible danger of steering is avoided. The saddle J and handle-bars K provide the seat and handles for the child who propels or operates the apparatus.

It is intended that the frame A shall be supported by its outer wheels at an elevation of about six inches, while the seat E is raised a suitable elevation above the foot-boards E and E to afford a convenient seat for the children and allow them to keep their feet upon the foot-boards while the apparatus is being revolved.

It will be observed that the merry-go-round as thus constructed is a perfectly safe means of affording healthy exercise and sport, and it is also a device in which the children will find delight.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. A minature merry-go-roun 1 for children comprising a boys velocipede having its wheels arranged to track in a circle, the pedal-wheel being foremost and carrying a saddle for the child operating the pedals thereof, a radially-disposed frame pivotally mounted at its inner end and carrying spindles at its outer end on which the two rearward wheels are journaled, thereby supporting said frame at its outer end, a car or seat for passengers mounted on said frame closely adjacent to the support ing wheels thereof, and means holding rigid the fork of the front pedal-wheel.

2. In a meri'ygo-round, the combination of a radial frame pivotally-mounted at its inner end and having a spindle at its outer end and a supporting-wheelthereon, a car or seat for passengers mounted on the outer por tion of said frame, and a pedaLwheel of a boys veloei pede or tricycle having its bibranched back-frame attached to said car, one leg or member of said backfranie being connected to the outer end of said spindle and the other leg being connected to the car-portion of the apparatus, and a brace holding the fork of said pedal-wheel rigid to maintain said pedaLwheel in proper relation.

In a merry-goa-ound, the combination of a radiallydisposed frame pivotallymrounted at its inner end and wheel-supported at its outer end, and a car thereon comprising upright companion yokes or arches havi ng inside shoulders upon which a seat or board is supported and having outwardly-projecting feet or lower ends upon which foot-boards are supported.

4. In a merry-go-round, the combination of a radial frame comprising iron bars having parallel outer por- JOHN THOMAS REESE.

Witnesses GORDON KIMBRO, A'rrm CULPs.

mounted 

